


Grey Chasm

by GreyOutlook



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Eventual Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 07:13:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16236785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyOutlook/pseuds/GreyOutlook
Summary: The battle between dark and light rages in the legal world as it always has, but it takes one from each side to see the grey line between the chaos and work toward something new.





	Grey Chasm

**Chapter 1**  
Rey stood waiting with her carry-on suitcase to the side of the jetway entrance, allowing the ever-important first-class passengers to pass. She bent over to ensure her luggage zipper’s seal and stood up, hitting her head against an elbow. A tall, dark haired man locked eyes with her as they stood entirely too close.  
“Ouch,” Rey rubbed her head for emphasis. The man looked more offended than apologetic.  
“Maybe stand a few steps away from the line until it’s your turn to board,” he brushed off his suit sleeve.  
“Oh, yes, I wouldn’t want you to have to look where you’re walking,” Rey shot back, “Next time I’ll give you more room so you can continue daydreaming.” The last call announcement for first class came over the speaker. The man gave a curt, smug smile and continued to the jetway.  
“Rey Niima, could you please come to the terminal desk? Rey Niima. Thank you.” The announcement blared, and Rey’s stomach sank as she walked to the attendant.  
“Please tell me I’m not getting bumped off-“ Rey pleaded, but the attendant smiled and held up her hand to interrupt.  
“No Miss Niima, we have an open first-class seat we’d like to upgrade you-“  
“That’s not necessary-“  
“I insist. We pulled your name and the terminal is almost empty. Go ahead and get in line, here’s your updated ticket.”  
“Thank you,” Rey flushed and took the ticket.  
Inside the plane, Rey was one of the last few to board and get settled. Thankfully she didn’t have far to go since her ticket changed to row five. She sighed with relief to see an empty space in the overhead on her row. Her brief and fierce struggle perfectly placed her luggage, but not before hitting her row mate with her knee.  
“Ouch,” a man’s deep voice sounded from below as she looked down to confirm it was him.  
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to,” Rey said with a grin, “and for future reference that’s what you say to someone you accidentally bump into.” She pointed to the empty window seat and enjoyed every ounce of his look of discomfort. He stood up grabbing his tablet and looked down on Rey as she shimmied into her seat. She pulled her tablet out of her messenger bag and decided to ignore the grump next to her.  
“I didn’t see you earlier and I do apologize,” he waited for her to look at him, “What’s your name?”  
“Rey.” He waited.  
“Rey?”  
“Yes, Rey.” His eyebrows retreated to a frown at her lack of a last name.  
“I see,” his smug tone returned, “I’m Ben.” Rey nodded and went back to reading on her tablet.  
After awhile at cruising altitude, the attendants walked through first class with mimosas. Ben cleared his throat and Rey snapped out of her focused reading to see him uncomfortably holding two mimosas.  
“Oh, I don’t want-“ her eyes searched for the nearest flight attendant.  
“Could you just-“  
“Fine.” Rey took one from him and balanced sips with glances to her device.  
“Do you always refuse pleasurable things?” Ben had already finished his and waved down an attendant for some whiskey. Rey almost choked and his cheeks flushed. “I didn’t mean that-“  
“I know what you meant. Maybe.”  
“You don’t have to feel uncomfortable taking the free stuff just because you aren’t used to flying first class.” Ben continued to talk without looking at her. He was either gifted at multitasking or trying to hide his genuine curiosity. Rey huffed.  
“I’m not used to first class by choice. I can afford it, I just think it’s frivolous.” Ben laughs and takes a sip of his whiskey.  
“You might be in for a shock then. There are a lot of frivolous things in New York.”  
“You assume quite a lot, Ben,” she sipped her mimosa. “First that I’ve never flown first class, now that I’ve never been to New York.”  
“It’s a big change from Britain. Regardless of how many times you’ve been before, I imagine you’ll be happy to go back home,” Ben shrugged.  
“New York is going to be my home now.”  
“Oh?”  
“New job.” No sooner had Rey set her glass down when Ben took it and handed it to a passing flight attendant.  
“Why New York? Your family must-“  
“Don’t make any more assumptions please…especially on that subject,” Rey refocused on her tablet.  
“Everyone has a difficult family,” Ben looked back at his tablet. Neither were reading, but the parallel conversation was easier in a confined space.  
“I would have to know my family first to be able to say if they were difficult or not,” Rey stopped to look at Ben as she spoke. Ben swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue and returned her stare.  
“You’re right. I assume too much.” Their stares softened, and they went back to their own tasks.  
The plane attached to the jetway after landing and filled with the sound of seatbelts unlatching. Ben jumped up and reached into the overhead. Rey packed her messenger bag and stood to find Ben already pulled her luggage down for her. She frowned at the gesture.  
“I could have gotten that,” Rey grumbled.  
“A peace offering...for being rude earlier,” a ghost of a smile touched Ben’s lips. Rey frowned still but mumbled a thank you.  
The airport terminal was loud and bustling with travelers. Rey followed signs for transportation but took a wrong turn, crossed a skybridge and ended up in a parking garage.  
“Shit,” Rey dug through her bag to find a paper and her phone. She turns to backtrack over the bridge when she hears a familiar laugh.  
“Do you need help finding your way?” Ben smiled with enjoyment at seeing her lose her edge.  
“I’m fine… Okay, no way, I’m turned around. Which way are the taxis-“ Rey unsuccessfully tried to stop Ben from grabbing the paper she had in her hand.  
“I thought you’d been to New York before-“ He lost he smile on his face as he read the stolen paper, “Oh.” Rey snatched back the paper with a huff. Ben frowned.  
“Ren Tower is where I’m going, and I don’t need directions, I just need a taxi,” Rey shoved the paper into her messenger bag and extended the handle on her suitcase. Ben walked to the curb as black town car pulled up the ramp and stopped right in front of him. He opened the back door and motioned for her to get in.  
“It’s right on my way, I’m happy to-“ Ben followed Rey’s stare to a taxi a short distance away.  
“I appreciate the offer, but if it’s all the same,” she nodded toward the taxi, “Have a good day.” Ben watched her silently make her way to the taxi before climbing in the town car.  
-  
Rey shut the door to a cold, modern apartment and rolled her suitcase to the bedroom. She reemerged in fresh business clothes, stopping to check her appearance in the floor length mirror before typing a text into her phone.  
**Rey**  
_I’m here. Heading to the First Order now._  
**Leia**  
_Okay, call me if there is any trouble._  
_They know why you’re there, so don’t expect a reception._  
**Rey**  
_I know. Talk to you soon._  
Rey exited Ren Tower and made her way to the tallest building in the city.  
-  
Ben stopped at the foot of the First Order skyscraper, peering at its height before pulling his coat tighter and entering the building. Anyone else might think the halls were abandoned, but Ben learned he had a presence that demanded respect that came in the form of fleeing. Office doors quietly clicked shut, a casual chat hushed and returned to work, a paralegal hunched over their desk on the phone sinking back into their seat as he passed. Ben’s office served as an oasis to the overbearing labyrinth of offices and open workspaces on the main floor. He dropped in his chair and logged into his computer. He pushed away from his desk realizing he immediately opened the employee directory. Roughly rubbing his face to shake the feisty woman from the plane out of his head, he caved and typed ‘rey’. No results. The intercom quelled his bubbling frustration. Why else would she be moving into Ren Tower?  
“Mr. Ren, Snoke wants to see you now.” He punched the ‘end’ button as a reply. Ben knew the huge case the Resistance was bringing against them and Snoke either planned on having him lead the charge or would keep him away from it. Ben rounded the corner into the kitchen and witnessed Rey prying the top off the coffee machine.  
“There’s a release button!” Ben and Rey both jumped at his voice.  
“You- oh…” Rey backed up as Ben reached out pointing to the side button. The lid popped open effortlessly. A cackle of a laugh entered the other side of the kitchen. A frightening old man approached them, his meretricious suit the least scary part of his appearance.  
“Snoke,” Ben nodded.  
“Excellent! I see you’ve met,” Snoke’s eyes gleamed looking between the two.  
“Yes, of course, Be-“ Rey extended her hand.  
“Ren!” Ben grabbed her hand, not sure if the contact or his strange behavior caused the sparks. “Kylo Ren. And you’re Rey.”  
“Yes… Ren?” Rey questioned, and Ben confirmed with a nod.  
“Ren, when you’re done getting-“ Snoke’s eyes travelled up and down Rey’s body, “coffee….stop by my office.” Snoke walked back out of the kitchen.  
“So you lied about your name,” Rey crossed her arms after pressing a button on the coffee machine.  
“No. Ben is my name.”  
“But not here.”  
“Right.”  
“Care to elaborate?” Ben tightened his jaw.  
“No. You wouldn’t understand.”  
“How do you know that I wouldn’t?” Rey scoffed, “If you don’t want to tell me then don’t!”  
“Fine, I don’t want to tell you,” Ben turned to leave, stopping short, “But keep this to yourself.” Rey almost spit her coffee.  
“Now you have to tell me! If you want this to be secret-“ Rey started to let a smile slip.  
“I owe you nothing,” Ben’s eyes darkened before he furrowed his brows, “Tell the world if you want.” He stormed out of the kitchen. Rey’s expression softened but her call out to him died on her lips. It took a moment for her shock to turn to anger.  
Rey made her way back to her office not stomping as she felt so as not to spill her coffee or hurt her ankles in the heels and for the fact she was not a child.  
The frown left her face with a specific ringtone on her cell. She answered.  
“Hey Rose!”  
“You didn’t text me back!”  
“Sorry about that, I’ve been-“  
“Busy I’m sure, but Rey, come on. I’ve been dying over here.”  
“Well, I just got settled but should have access to the files soon,” Rey sipped her coffee rechecking her empty email.  
“I still can’t believe they got the courts to agree in letting only one resistance member view the files at their location.”  
“Yeah, we didn’t see that request coming, it was clever,” Rey admitted.  
“All thanks to Kylo Ren I’m sure. God you haven’t run into him have you?” Dread dripped into Rose’s voice.  
“Yes, I did. But he just seems like an overgrown child,” Rey scoffed.  
“Rey, be careful. He’s really smart-“  
“So am I!”  
“I know, Rey, but do be careful. You’re the only one who can go toe to toe with him…but he is still Kylo Ren!”  
“I will, Rose. Hey is Finn still coming at the scheduled time tomorrow? Yes, him and Poe will alternate days to meet you. Unless you think you’ll have so many notes that they both need to come?”  
“No, I’ll make sure it’s only one box…I don’t want to raise their suspicions. It’s best that they see me as a harmless girl.”  
“Okay, take care Rey! We’ll talk again soon.”  
“Bye, Rose.” Rey waited for the call that access to the First Order’s file room was available.  
-  
Ben caught Snoke in his office while he was still removing his suit jacket. Ben started to sit.  
“Don’t bother, this will be quick Ren,” Snoke sat in his chair, leaving Ben to stand.  
“The Resistance case-“ Ben began.  
“Do not concern yourself with the case, Ren. Hux and Phasma will be handling that.” Ben schooled his expression, controlling his fury.  
“It’s hard to stand by when I know their weaknesses! I’m the one who successfully petitioned to save our files from leaving-“  
“Yes, yes I know. That is why I’m letting you follow up on that particular agreement,” Snoke smiled.  
“What?”  
“The girl.” _No._ “Rey, is it?” Snoke stirred his coffee.  
“Isn’t she a new employee?” Snoke laughed.  
“No, Ren. She is with the Resistance. We’ve graciously let her take a room in Ren Tower and given her an office here. Rey is the one they chose to send into the wolf den to view our files on the discovery list.”  
“I’m not a file clerk, what do you expect me to do?”  
“I expect you to _help_ her in any way she needs, do you understand?” Ben’s stomach sank.  
“Are you asking me to sabotage her?”  
“No, no I couldn’t _ask_ you to do that. But perhaps distract her when necessary. But mostly know what she knows, keep tabs on where and what she is looking at.”  
“She’ll be expecting this, it won’t be easy.”  
“That’s why I’m sending the best, Ren. Understood?” Snoke smiled and motioned to dismiss Ben. Ben charged his secretary’s desk.  
“Mr. Ren! What can I do for you, sir-“ Paige scrambled to grab a pad of paper and pen.  
“The woman, Rey, where is she?” Paige stopped writing.  
“She’s just down the hall, sir. We used the empty office, Mitaka’s old-“ Ben left without another word and headed for Rey.


End file.
